U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski says in
light of the Kulluk’s grounding, the government needs to look at all aspects of
Shell’s Arctic drilling operations.

Speaking
on Talk of Alaska yesterday, Senator Murkowski called the grounding a “marine
incident.” The oil and gas industry, and its
supporters in Washington D.C., have labeled the grounding a transportation
issue. But yesterday, Senator Murkowski said it’s more than just that.

--(Senator Kulluk 2:14“I share the concerns of many … to us as
Americans.”)

Both the
Department of Interior and the Coast Guard are conducting separate reviews. The
Interior study is due out in a couple of weeks.

The
Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk had been under tow across the Gulf of
Alaska when it broke free during a storm and ran hard aground on Sitkalidak Island,
near Old H arbor, on New Year’s Eve.